My Turn: As attitudes about animal control change in Gaston County, so will policies

By Lee Monro

Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 07:09 PM.

I received an email from a friend asking me to sign a Petition for Change at Gaston County Animal Control.

Since I now see the bigger picture and that animal control is a reflection of the community, I no longer jump on the bandwagon. Here is the short story: A family dog without a collar dug out of his backyard. This dog was born with a limp, which animal control did not know when they picked it up and believed it to be a recent injury. Following policy to avoid letting an injured or hurt animal suffer, the dog was euthanized. The following day, when the owners found out about their dog, they were understandably upset, but is animal control truly to blame?

Aside from being picked up by animal control, their dog also could have been hit or killed by a vehicle, attacked by a bigger dog or, out of fear, have bitten someone trying to save him. With a violation of the county leash law and an unlicensed pet, (and probably without a rabies vaccination), the owners could have faced up to $125.00 in fines. The owners have started a petition for change at Gaston County animal control, but what solutions are being offered?

Animal control deals with the ugly problems that pet overpopulation and irresponsible pet owners create. One solution is to educate the public about what it takes to be a responsible pet owner: spay/neuter, understanding how much time and training your breed of dog requires, as well as the cost of vet care. Caring for a dog is more than putting it in the backyard with food, water and shelter. Everything will change at animal control for the better if you can lower the intake numbers. A petition is the easy part, but without a working plan for change, nothing gets accomplished.

I drive to Crowders Mountain and see all the bags of trash on the side of the road, because people are too irresponsible to take care of it themselves. They know county employees will clean up after them, and that is the same attitude and respect they have for animal control. The “responsible” community is content when animal control silently handles the situation, but shocked when the truth comes out about how they have to deal with the reality of unwanted pets, and sometimes beloved lost pets are also caught up in the “answer” to the problem.

Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control has received awards for being the most improved shelter, yet they still had to euthanize more than 12,000 pets last year. Due to lack of space, any owner-surrendered pet will be euthanized before the owner leaves the parking lot. In order to combat the high intake numbers, Mecklenburg County Animal Care and Control has teamed up with the Humane Society and the ASPCA. When people realize there is a better way, they ask for help.

The Spartanburg, S.C., animal control is now in charge of trapping, neutering and releasing all community (feral) cats back into their environment, building shelters for the cats and checking on their well-being. The officers are now part of the solution instead of just a cleanup service for irresponsible pet owners. With community support and grants, they are able to provide this beneficial service to their city.

I received an email from a friend asking me to sign a Petition for Change at Gaston County Animal Control.

Since I now see the bigger picture and that animal control is a reflection of the community, I no longer jump on the bandwagon. Here is the short story: A family dog without a collar dug out of his backyard. This dog was born with a limp, which animal control did not know when they picked it up and believed it to be a recent injury. Following policy to avoid letting an injured or hurt animal suffer, the dog was euthanized. The following day, when the owners found out about their dog, they were understandably upset, but is animal control truly to blame?

Aside from being picked up by animal control, their dog also could have been hit or killed by a vehicle, attacked by a bigger dog or, out of fear, have bitten someone trying to save him. With a violation of the county leash law and an unlicensed pet, (and probably without a rabies vaccination), the owners could have faced up to $125.00 in fines. The owners have started a petition for change at Gaston County animal control, but what solutions are being offered?

Animal control deals with the ugly problems that pet overpopulation and irresponsible pet owners create. One solution is to educate the public about what it takes to be a responsible pet owner: spay/neuter, understanding how much time and training your breed of dog requires, as well as the cost of vet care. Caring for a dog is more than putting it in the backyard with food, water and shelter. Everything will change at animal control for the better if you can lower the intake numbers. A petition is the easy part, but without a working plan for change, nothing gets accomplished.

I drive to Crowders Mountain and see all the bags of trash on the side of the road, because people are too irresponsible to take care of it themselves. They know county employees will clean up after them, and that is the same attitude and respect they have for animal control. The “responsible” community is content when animal control silently handles the situation, but shocked when the truth comes out about how they have to deal with the reality of unwanted pets, and sometimes beloved lost pets are also caught up in the “answer” to the problem.

Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control has received awards for being the most improved shelter, yet they still had to euthanize more than 12,000 pets last year. Due to lack of space, any owner-surrendered pet will be euthanized before the owner leaves the parking lot. In order to combat the high intake numbers, Mecklenburg County Animal Care and Control has teamed up with the Humane Society and the ASPCA. When people realize there is a better way, they ask for help.

The Spartanburg, S.C., animal control is now in charge of trapping, neutering and releasing all community (feral) cats back into their environment, building shelters for the cats and checking on their well-being. The officers are now part of the solution instead of just a cleanup service for irresponsible pet owners. With community support and grants, they are able to provide this beneficial service to their city.

For over five years, Poston Dog Park’s Facebook page has become a support system for pet owners with advice columns on dog behavior, training, diet, knowledge of the N.C. Pet Welfare Law, fundraising and assistance to find their pet or perhaps a new home for their pet if need be. There are also great photos of the dogs enjoying the park.

The Gazette also has a weekly pet advice column. These simple acts of kindness have a positive effect on the community by encouraging anyone to become a better pet owner.

Gaston County Animal Control’s policies are only a reaction to the problems generated by our community’s attitude toward animals. Change the attitude, and the policies will change.